An Everlasting Mark
by punkrocker180
Summary: "He tried to cry out but the blood bubbled in his throat. The taste of iron had always made him sick. He shut his eyes to the pain and prayed to a God he did not believe in anymore." Some people are willing to fight for a life that isn't theirs. Are you?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, Siskie is back with another FMA story (hopefully you guys aren't getting sick of me writing these stories. I love FMA so a lot of my stories will be about it.)! This one is a bit different than some of my other stories ('cept I need to upload the other chapter story onto this account). This is a chapter story, it's rare I do these cause I normally don't have the concentration to write and FINISH one of those. However, I've been wanting to write this one for a while. So I'm just gonna say this right out, if any of you have played one of the FMA games (I'm so bad, I can't remember which T.T) there is this cut scene where Ed get's stabbed and this girl gives up her life to bring him back. I sorta took that idea BUT made it so that Mustang had to be the hero (I can't help I like RoyXEd...okay? It's a real problem...I need help. T.T lol). So...yeah. Hopefully you all will like it. Anyway, please R&R and most of all, enjoy the story! :)**

**Anime/Manga: FullMetal Alchemist**

**Rating: M (For safty reasons...I don't know where else this story will go ;D)**

**Couple: ...For this chapter...no one...later? Who knows.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST OR THE CHARACTERS! Cause if I did, let's face it, we all know who would be together! ;3**

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><p>"Every story has sorrow, even the ones about a hero."<p>

Edward scowled once more at Colonel Mustang, his brows twitching in annoyance. That was the third short joke in a minute! _"Smug bastard must be trying for a new record or something!"_ Ed thought. Roy ruffled the boy's hair, "Oh cheer up FullMetal. I wouldn't tease you if I didn't care." The Colonel then strode forward, catching up with Alphonse so they were side by side.

Ed fell behind in step, watching as Al said something to make Mustang laugh. It was something that always brought a smile to his face, whether he liked it or not. It was so rare to see the man smile, yet alone laugh. It made him seem more human.

Ed clasped his hands behind his head, glancing up at the sky for a brief moment. It was the perfect weather out, not too hot or too cold. A bit chilly for summer in Central, however, it was welcomed. The slight breeze kept the penetrating heat off of Ed's automail, making it easier to function.

Ed smiled once more as he focused back on the two in front of him. Only he found himself starring into terrifyingly blue eyes. A hooded man blocked his path. He looked crazy, almost insane. He had an eerie smile, lop-sided and crooked with yellowing teeth, his eyes were blood shot and he reeked of sweat. Before Ed could react, he let out a gasp as something sharp hit his stomach. It continued through his abdomen, sending hot, red currents of pain through his body.

The hooded man smiled, "May God save your soul." He dropped the butcher knife from his hands just enough for Ed to see what hit him before he started to fall. He felt his knees hit first, more pain shooting up his right leg, then the cold of the concrete upon his face. What he wished he could not feel was the warm pool of his own blood beneath him.

He tried to cry out but blood bubbled in his throat. The taste of iron had always made him sick. He shut his eyes to the pain and prayed to a God he did not believe in anymore.

Then he heard it.

"Brother!"

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><p><strong>A.N.: I'm sorry Chapter One is...so...short (*cough* like Ed *cough*) but the rest of the story will be longer, I promise. I'm working on writing some really detailed scenes that might trip you out! XD Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! If you did, or didn't, please let me know! <strong>

**Much love,**

**Siskie 3 (PR180)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Here is chapter two! I've found the only use for my study hall is writing fanfiction. XD Ah, thank the gods for Senior year. Anywho guys, here is chapter two. I hope you all like this! I'm not exactly sure where I'm headed with this, so I'm just writing stuff as it comes to my head and editing it later on. **

**Please R&R and most importanly, enjoy the story!**

**XoXo,**

**Siskie :3**

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><p>Alphonse ran as quickly as his armored body would allow before gathering his older brother in his arms. "Brother! Brother!" He cried, hoping and praying for a reply. Roy could not move, yet alone breathe. The boy was completely motionless. There was so much blood. His stomach made an awful churn. Snapping back to reality, he pushed a glove on one hand before rushing to the fallen Elric's side. Kneeling, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hang on Edward."<p>

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><p>The sound of waves echoed in his ears. He could smell the scent of salty air and feel a cooling breeze. Although his eyes were shut the colors of blue and yellow lingered in his vision. He slowly fluttered his eyes until they opened.<p>

Edward was lying on his back, his face starring up at blue skies and puffy white clouds. His back was wet, damp like he was floating in the water. A glance to the side confirmed that, indeed, he was. He thought that one through. He could hardly go swimming without being weighed down by his automail, how was he floating?

He blinked a few times before releasing the breath he did not realize he was holding. Shooting straight up, he found himself sitting in a shallow area of water near a shore line. He was not far out at sea at all. There was a small island to his left, where the land was raised very high almost like a cliff. There was a bridge leading from the small island to the main one, the one Ed had been facing when he sat up.

It was all very beautiful, more so than Risembool (which he thought the world of). The skies were a blue he had never seen before; the water was almost the same shade of a light blue crystal. He raised his head back to the main island, studying it. There was a heavy amount of trees lining the inland; a few buildings made of wood were here and there.

Edward made the small struggle from the water to the sand in minutes. He walked further, up to one of the buildings. He knocked. It echoed. Ed glanced around some more. No one appeared to be on the island. In fact, taking in some more scenery and noticing the strangest tidbits washing up on the shore, it seemed as if no one had been here in a very long time. "Strange." He said, hearing the recount of his voice come back at him. That made him pause and his eyes grow large.

"Where am I?" His voice echoed in the silence. Ed could feel the sweat roll down the side of his face. "Alphonse?" He called, his voice shaking. It seemed as if it bounced off of invisible walls, like the island was conformed in a bubble. "Roy?" This time he whimpered, fearing the worst. He was alone. He hat

ed being alone.

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><p>"Alphonse, I need you to listen carefully, okay?" Mustang spoke as calmly as any man could give the current situation. Roy swallowed, his throat felt dry. "Lift up his shirt and hold him down."<p>

"What are you gonna do to him?" Al whimpered.

"I need to cauterize the wound. If he's alive, he'll wake up screaming."

Alphonse nodded once before doing as he was told. Roy tried to mentally prepare himself. He had made a vow to himself after the Barry the Chopper incident that he would do whatever it took to keep the boy safe. Now stuck with the choice of acting now or rushing him to the hospital, Mustang sighed in frustration. He knew if he did not act soon, Ed would not live to see the hospital.

Taking a big breath, he poised his fingers at the ready. He glanced down at Edward's face, an unbelievable amount of sadness enveloping him. He never wanted to bring any harm to the boy, even though this meant saving his life.

It was a difficult thing, cauterizing a wound with flame alchemy, dangerous even. Roy had seen firsthand what a fire could do to a body. What if he lost control of the flame? What if he ended up killing Edward instead? Mustang shook his head quickly back and forth, riding himself of these thoughts. He shut his eyes and pictured Edward smiling at him. Sorrow swelled around his heart. _"I'm sorry, please forgive me Edward." _

Roy looked at Al, "Got him held down?" Alphonse nodded again, wishing for this to be over with already. "Right, here it goes."

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><p><strong>Gah, another cliffy! I really need to stop doing this to you guys...and to myself. ...Hopefully the juices will get flowing again soon. I'll update asap! Love you all! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get chapter three uploaded (although it has only been like eight days but that's sorta long for me to go without even writing anything). I wrote this all within like an hour or so while I was drinking my tea, waiting for my parents to get home from church. I'm working on chapter four, I already have ideas flowing in my head. (Let's hope they are good ;3) So here you go guys! Please R&R and most importantly, enjoy the story! I Love you all! *Muah* **

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><p>Edward decided to wonder around a bit more after he got his bearings straight again. He headed down to the water once more, spotting a very odd object protruding slightly from the sand. It was being ravished by the oncoming waves, making it glisten even more in the sunlight. Edward was always the curious type and not one to think of consequences before an act. He rushed to the treasure and plucked it from its resting place.<p>

Gently brushing the sand off of the bottom, Ed examined it. What had been sticking out from the sand was the gem of a pendant. The crystal red heart that now lay in Ed's hands glimmered; he could now see that there was a small swirling silver metal pattern that encased the bottom half of the crystal. To match the metal, deep inside the heart was the same exact swirling pattern with a much richer red. The pendant was attached to a thick silver chain with a metal tag attached to the clasp with some sort of inscription. Focusing with all his might, Edward attempted to read what the small letters made up.

He grasped the tag in his forefingers and thumbs on both hands, twisting back and forth in the sunlight until he caught a quick glimpse of the word. One word, or more specifically, a name. His name.

Edward shook off the shock. Why in the world would there be a pendant such as this with his name washing up on the shore of Gods-know-where? In fact, _he_ did not even know where he was. So many questions ran through his head. How did he end up here? How did _that _end up here? Where was _here?_

He sighed and plopped back down into the sand, letting the waves wash up over his booted feet. He twisted the pendant in his left hand over and over again while staring out at sea. Here he was once more, alone and confused. "Seems like that's a cycle with me." He sighed a bit heavier this time. "What am I gonna do? It's not like I could exactly swim and I don't think there is any raft will get me back home. The last thing I remember—"

Then it hit him. He could not remember anything. Sure he knew he had a younger brother named Alphonse and his commanding officer Roy, he could remember the name of the town he grew up in, what his house looked like, his name, his birthday, his first kiss, his first crush, how his mother died, what happened to his father, but he could not remember how on Earth he ended up here.

Fear started to seep in quickly. What else did he forget then? If he could not remember how he got here, was there other stuff he had forgotten? "Strange, if I cared about it, you'd think I'd remember it. Or perhaps it wasn't that important after all."

It was after realizing he was talking to himself Edward fell backwards onto the sand in a fit of laughter. "Look at me, talking to myself about ridiculous things such as this!" He let out a swell of air with a bit of a chuckle. "Well one thing's for sure. No matter if I'm going insane here or not, I have a little brother I have to get home to. Now," Ed sat back up and shook what he believed he could of his insanity away, "how to do that."

Glancing around the island did nothing as usual. He found the same unhelpful things as before. However, he heard the crack of thunder in the distance. "It might be wise for me to hunker down in one of those shacks until the storm blows over." He squeezed his left hand around the heart pendant and began to head to the shack when a pain ripped through his stomach. "GAHH!" Ed screamed, falling to his knees.

He clutched at his abdomen and grimaced. "W-what the hell?" Another shot of pain tore through him. This one left him completely helpless. Falling face first into the sand, Edward groaned. The pain shook through him, he could see red dots form behind his eyelids, and a high pitched ring echoed in his ears. A headache of proportions was most certainly on its way from Hell.

He moved his head to the side and forced his eyes to open. They grew at the sight they saw. "Who-who are you?" Ed chocked out, watching the black figure come closer to him. The cloaked man had a hood pulled over his head, making it impossible to see any facial features. It got eerily quiet suddenly, not even the waves made a sound. The dark figure leaned over him and placed a hand on Ed's head.

Edward cried out once again. A sharp, jutting pain ran from the back of his head to his tailbone. He could feel blood trickle from his mouth and down the side of his head from where the man had touched him. "Why? Why are you doing this?" Ed strained to speak.

The cloaked man placed to fingers on Edward's lips and chuckled half-heartedly. "Shush, petit." (1) He hushed, rubbing the back of his hand on Ed's cheek. "Everything will be okay. I promise, it'll only hurt for a little while. Once you are better, I will make this all up to you."

"But- -" Ed tried his best to respond however found the man shushing him again with his fingers. "It'll only hurt worse to talk, don't try. I promise, petit. It'll all be okay. Shut your eyes now, go to sleep. I will be by your side when you wake."

"How will I know it's you?" Edward whispered. "What if you're not in that?" The man chuckled once more, "It doesn't matter. I will know it is you and I will be by your side. Sleep, petit. Sleep."

Without Edward's approval, he found himself becoming drowsy. Whether it was from the pain or the soothing the man had done, he was not sure. His eyelashes fluttered before him until all he could see was the inside of his eyelids. He was extremely tired and soon was drifting off into the realm between consciousness and sleep. The very last thing he heard before blacking out and letting sleep take over his body entirely, was the sound of the ocean waves echoing once again inside of his head. The sound helped to lull him further into a dreamless rest, one he much appreciated.

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><p><strong>(1) I just wanted to clear this up a bit incase anyone is confused...my friend said this word the other day and I had to look it up too so it's okay. "Petit" is apparently the French word for "little" or "small"...Cookies to those who knew that...cause I didn't. lol XD<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hiya everyone! So sorry that I've been super slow with this chapter, I've been trying to write longer and longer chapters so hopefully it'll be to your bidding (It was like 7 pages on word but who knows how long it'll look on here). Anyway guys, sorry I've been gone for so long! School has been a total B! I've got to teach a lesson to the class by the end of the year and I have an English assignment due this Friday so if you don't hear from me in a while I've either died from work over load or I'm in a study coma. Lol Anywho, I hope you guys like this chapter and as always enjoy the story! xOxO**

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><p>Edward forced his eyes to open and focused on what was in front of him. His mouth was dry, like he had gargled sand, and his eyes burned as if he had cried recently. Blinking a few times to clear the film that had formed over his vision, Ed noticed wood paneling above his head. The shade was light and airy, the color of maple. Ed's eyes followed the grain of the wood to the wall beside him.<p>

Glancing to the side, he moved his fingers and felt the scratch of fabric whisper against his skin. Rolling his head made the cloud like pillow ease his heavy burden and the warm cotton of a mattress caressed his achy joints. Edward was in heaven. He could not remember a time he had slept so well and so comfortable. He thought that odd, considering it was not his own bed. Even though he could pass out anywhere at any given time during their travels, Ed never really got the rest he needed.

Insomnia always kept him alert, and then there were the equations and the alchemical texts. No, Ed had not had a rest like this since before he joined the military. Shutting his eyes once more before sitting up, Edward sighed.

"Sleep well, petit?" Ed turned his head to the left to take in the sight of the cloaked figure once again. The dark appearance had not changed, the cloak still covered his face entirely and the long hem swept the floor lightly as he walked into the room. Edward swallowed against the fear building in his throat and nodded before choking out a hoarse "Fine, thanks." Giving a light chuckle, the figure left as quickly as he came. Ed blinked in confusion, believing that his sole companion was a bit off his rocker. However, the man was back again in a flash.

Striding forward to where Ed sat, he carried with him a glass of water (if there was a "Holy Grail" Ed believed he had found it right then and there as he licked his lips at the thought of it cooling his throat) and an oddly shaped piece of fruit, at least Edward assumed it was fruit. It was moon-shaped, glowing silver in the sunlight coming from the few windows in the room. "Here, petit, eat this." He said, handing Ed some sustenance. "The fruit will bring back your strength; the water will help with the dryness obviously. Enjoy it, petit."

Edward graciously took the offerings and thanked him before taking a bite from the "moon fruit." It tingled in his mouth, eliciting sparks on his tongue. Warmth enveloped him all over, easing every pain in his body. The fruit smelled sweet and tasted more like candy than anything else. Ed started smiling as his fears and burdens were dissipating. "Thank you," He stated again, searching for a name to put to this man. When he came up with nothing, Ed hung his head in defeat.

"What's wrong petit?" With his cloak skitting across the floor behind him, the man sat down on the bed beside Edward. A worried face breaching his features, Ed shook his head. "You've taken care of me and I don't even know your name."

"My name is unimportant, petit; however it is just a name. Just like many others." Edward stopped mid swallow of his drink. Cocking his head to the side he mused out loud "Everyone's name is important. It's a part of them. A part of who they are. It separates us from other people, becomes a part of our character. We make our name unique to the people who know us. How is that not important?"

The hooded figure chuckled, "So it seems everything I have heard is true. You really are quite the thinker. Always forming your own opinion is it? While that would normally send someone into grave trouble to whom they were speaking, it seems that you make others think about what they are doing. You have, on more than one occasion, convinced the Fuhrer to take another path with his plans when things could have gone…horribly wrong?"

Edward blinked in response. How the hell did he know that? How did he even know Ed was in the military? He never wore the uniform or any of the badges he had earned over the course of the years. He left his pocket watch in Mustang's office earlier, after it had fallen out of his pocket. "Mustang's office." Ed mused again. "I left my watch in his office, how do you know I'm in the military? How do you know so much about me when I don't even know who you are?"

The figure merely shook his head, as if Edward should have already known the answer to this question. "I have watched you for a long time, petit. I've cared for you when you did not even know it." Ed was starting to get a bit agitated. He wanted answers, not riddles. "Fine then, where am I?"

"You are in the realm where the living is not quite dead and where the dead are not quite alive."

"Run that one by me again?" Edward rubbed his temple lightly. The figure laughed, "You ought to know, petit. You created this world."

"What do you mean I created this world? I've never been here in my life! I'm an alchemist! The most I can do is raise land and change the cosmetic surface, but only if I have the material to do it with! You can't make something from nothing and I don't have the power to create a world. Maybe you have the wrong person, I thank you for your hospitality, really but I should leave."

Placing his forgotten meal upon the only table in the room, Ed headed for the door, grabbing his boots by the frame and his coat on the hook beside it as he went. He stopped when he heard the figure laugh again, this time without stopping. "What's so funny?" Ed asked, turning again to face him for what he hoped the very last time.

"You are so convinced it is not you." The cloaked man stifled what was left of his laughter. "What about that necklace you found, hmm petit? It has your name on it. It washed up upon this shore because it heard you calling to it. You have been calling for it for what, five years now? Is that not the same amount of time you have been in the military?"

Edward felt his knees buckle before he dropped to the floor. His eyes grew larger as the figure kept going. "When you were younger, before you lost your mother, you used to dream of this place, did you not?" Ed's mouth was dry again; speaking was not an option at this point so he nodded a quick yes. "And after she died, may she rest in peace, you imagined that she was here. After a while, though, you thought she would get lonely so you pretended that she was somewhere better and not as lonely. You did the same thing with Nina and Alexander. With Major Huges, every person you met that you were close to that died they came here."

Edward shook his head, "No." He muttered. "No that, that's impossible. That's childish."

The figure nodded. "Yes, it was very childish. To believe that someone could be held somewhere, a peaceful somewhere at that. But you did believe, Edward, you believe that even now. For a time, you thought Alphonse was here too. And he was, for the briefest of moments though."

"No, he went to the gate." Edward sunk further to the floor, his arms becoming lax at his sides. "He was at the gate. I know he was. I was there." Again the figure shook his head, "He was there when you gave up that he could possibly be here. Like you did with so many others, you did not want to believe that they were here, so instead you started to imagine them somewhere else."

"No."

"Yes, petit. Yes, you did. You created this world, and we know worlds cannot be undone unless someone has the will to do it. You merely created this world when you were younger then forgot about it until someone died and then believed, with all of your heart and soul that they were here. That they were somewhere you could talk to them anytime you wanted to. That they were still alive, until all that believing and trusting in your heart died away again and they floated somewhere else."

The cloaked man walked over to where Edward had collapsed and kneeled before him, bracing himself with both hands on either one of Ed's shoulders. "You came here because this is where you believe people go when they die. I would love to tell you to wake up and go back to your brother and Mustang but that is a choice you must make on your own."

"Wake up?" Ed whispered. "I'm asleep?"

"Not quite, petit. Remember what realm you are in."

"I'm dead or near death?"

"Near, very near. You must make the choice to live."

Edward scrunched his eyes up in confusion. "I want to know more, but how can I do that without dying?" The figure wrapped his arms around the boy's small frame and pulled him close. Edwards swore for the world the scent of cinnamon, charcoal and fire lingered on this figure. A scent so familiar to him, yet he could not place where he had first smelled the delicious aroma and why it eased his nerves.

"This is your world, petit. You can decide what happens; this is all under your control. Choose, to live or to die?"

"I want to live."

"To linger here a while longer or go back immediately?"

Ed again pulled a face, "I can't go back yet, can I?" The figure looked at him. "I have to stay a while longer, don't I?"

"That is your will, not mine."

"I'll stay, but not forever. I can't, Alphonse is waiting."

"Of course he is. So many are waiting for you."

Edward leaned his head into the man's shoulder, "Will you tell me your name now?" He was very tired; it felt like all of his energy was drained out of him in a single moment. "Sure petit, it's-"

Ed started to get flutter vision as he glanced at the man holding him, "What?" He tried to stifle the yawn that escaped his mouth but failed miserably. He soon found himself being cradled underneath his legs and head. The figure spoke again, this time it sounded like jumbles to Edward's ears. Feeling the soft caress of the bed once again and the whispers of the sheets, Edward sighed before shutting his eyes fully. The last thing he heard before passing out was the sound of the door shutting.

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><p>The bell of the PA system went off again as Roy paced back and forth across the floor in front of FullMetal's room. Alphonse sat patiently in a chair near the nurses' station with Hawkeye beside him, reading a magazine.<p>

The blonde had been released from surgery four hours ago, yet the doctor was not sure if he was stable enough. While Roy knew it was for safety precautions and such, he really wished to see if the boy was alive. All this time he had feared that Edward had died and the doctors had not told any of them that it had happened. It was a silly fear, he knew it was, yet it still wrapped itself around his brain and made him shake with worry.

"Sir," He swiveled on his heel to stare at Lieutenant Hawkeye. "Perhaps you should sit down for a while. You've been pacing back and forth this entire time, if you keep it up you're going to run a ditch into the floor." Roy gulped; he knew it was a warning by the tone in her voice. For as long as he had known Riza, he was still amazed at how calm she could be in situations like this. Her voice steady and her eyes piercing as she silently ordered him in her head to take it easy.

"You're probably right Lieutenant." Mustang sighed as he padded his way over to an empty seat beside Al. He took this moment to focus on Ed's younger brother instead of the boy himself. The cold metal made it seem as if there were no worries fretting about his thoughts, yet Roy knew Alphonse was falling apart at the seams. The last time Edward had been injured like this had been the "incident" with their mother. Roy knew both boys did not want to relive anything close to that moment, and from certain things Alphonse had told him and the recent conversations he and Ed were having, Edward had been reliving it every night since then.

Roy was suddenly guilty as he realized Al probably needed the assurance Edward was okay more than him and he rested his head in his hands as he thought more on it. All three of their heads shot up when the door opened quickly before shutting again. A middle aged man exited through it with a name tag pinned to his white over coat.

Doctor Eckhart stood in front of them; a clipboard resting in his hands as a grimace slowly crept away from his face. He cleared his throat and fixed his glasses on his pudgy nose. His graying hair was flattened back and frown lines covered his forehead. This clearly had taken a toll on all of them; Roy hated to think of what the rest of the doctor's crew would look like.

"Major Elric is no longer in critical condition; however he slipped into a coma while on the operating table. He has normal brain waves and all of his vitals seem fine, yet he will not wake up. This is quite common in cases like this so please do not be alarmed." Since Edward had been sent to the hospital, Alphonse spoke "What do you mean it's common?"

The doctor turned his attention to Alphonse, at first taken aback at his appearance before relaxing his position again. "When a trauma like this occurs, the brain tries to fix itself from the damage. He acquired substantial damage to the head when he took that fall upon the concrete, and it shows in his records that he was recovering from a concussion to begin with."

"Concussion?" Roy and Alphonse spoke in unison. Roy turned to the younger Elric. "You didn't know about it either? I would've thought that Ed would tell you when he gets injured."

"He didn't tell you either, and he needs your signature still to be released from any hospital or sick wing. How did you not know?"

"Ahem," Dr. Eckhart sighed "Major Elric received medical attention on Monday; he was released later that night due to his injuries not being to the extreme." He flipped the paper on the clipboard and continued reading. "He was treated for a broken wrist, three bruised ribs and a concussion. He was given pain medication for any aches he may have received and was told to get some rest but to be woken up every half hour. He came back for a checkup yesterday and was told that he still had a concussion. He was prescribed Lafuex for the temporary bleeding-"

"Bleeding?" Alphonse shrieked lightly; the doctor coughed and continued as he eyed Al. "-from his left ear. A CAT scan was to be scheduled for today as a following checkup. Seeing as you both were unaware of Major Elric's previous injuries, would you mind telling me if you had noticed anything unusual before what occurred here today?"

Alphonse sat very still for a few moments. "Actually, now that you mention it brother was acting a bit strange the other day. He slept an awful lot but that could have been from the concussion. He was muttering a lot, saying stuff like he was sorry about things. I'm not exactly sure what it was about. Brother often has nightmares but I've never heard him talk like that before."

The doctor nodded in acknowledgement. "I see, you think something could have happened before? He never put on record what caused his injuries; he never mentioned being on assignment either. Normally we track when Major Elric is out on a job so we know what exactly to tell the higher ups such as you Colonel Mustang." Roy sighed. "FullMetal tends to do a lot of damage to himself and everything around him when he's "working," doctor."

Eckhart smiled for the first time since before the operation began. "Well, I'll keep looking into things and let you know Colonel if something unusual shows up. You may go see him now, but I suggest only one at a time." He nodded once, walking down the hallway before disappearing behind double doors.

Roy glanced at Alphonse, "You should go in there. I'm sure he can hear you; they at least say that coma patients can. It would make him happy, I'm sure of it." Roy tried to smile as Alphonse stood up. "Yeah, you're right."

Al paused at the door before turning to face Roy, "You think-you think he'll wake up Colonel?" Roy smiled outwardly even though his brain was slowly slipping into malfunction mode. "He's FullMetal; doesn't he always make it out of these situations?" He tried to end with a small laugh but it sounded strained.

Alphonse sighed, "No one lives forever Colonel. There will be a day when brother won't come back, I'm just wondering if he's pushed his limits with death one more step too many." With that he moved through the frame, letting the hard oak door slam shut behind him.

Riza glanced over her shoulder at her commanding officer. Rugged was an understatement at this point. His hair was a mess, dark circles littered underneath his eyes, blood vessels popped out in the white spaces of them and his normally clean shaven face was darkened with stubble. He could have been the poster child for sleep apnea. "Sir" She cleared her throat lightly "perhaps you should go home and get some rest. Freshen up and come back tomorrow?"

It was a question, Roy knew that. However he felt like it was an order, as he did with most things Hawkeye "suggested." Leave? He could not leave now! Edward was in a coma, his brother obviously needed comforting and Roy would be damned if he was not the man for the job.

"I'm fine Lieutenant. I don't need any rest; I'm too agitated to sleep anyway." He felt a hand gently rest upon his shoulder, forcing him to stare into honey colored eyes. "Sir, I know you're concerned for his wellbeing. We all are. But, I think it would be more the wiser to head home."

"There's something in your voice, Lieutenant." He eyed her closer. "You're hiding something from me." Riza sucked in a breath before moving back to her usual sitting position. She flipped her magazine back up, narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.

"The higher ups are starting to talk, sir." Roy leaned forward on his knees and placed his hands over his mouth. "About what? They normally gossip, what has that got to do with me?"

"They're talking about you and Edward, Colonel."

"That's nothing new; they hold grudges against us both." Riza shook her head at that. "It's more than that sir. Edward's mentioned it in passing to me before, he also said it didn't bother him, but things are starting to grow out of proportion."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Roy's eyebrows shot up into a quizzical expression. Rumors always went around about him. He had not heard of the rumors about Ed, but people were easily jealous and started nasty things that were completely untrue all of the time.

Riza folded the discarded magazine back in her lap before facing Mustang again. "They're talking about the two of you sleeping together, sir." Roy's face was priceless. He sat there motionless, unaware of what was going on around him. They thought the two of them-he and Ed-were _sleeping together?_ That was crazy! Where in the world did they get that idea? While he held some bottled up feelings towards the boy that he himself tried best to ignore, he had not once hinted these to FullMetal. Things were platonic. He was supposed to hate Ed, Edward hated him! That is how it has always been, since day one.

Roy sat up straight and looked at Edward's door. "They think that? How did they come to this rumor?"

"Apparently it's been floating around since Edward joined the ranks; it's only now begun to bloom into something monstrous."

"You said Ed had mentioned it to you before, what did he say?" Riza sighed at this too. She hated to remember the look Edward had on his face while saying it. He seems so sad; disappointed that anyone would think that of him, almost as if he was asking if he put off the vibe for the rumor to be spread.

"People have been saying that Edward slept with "the right people" to get his rank and title. It's sickening really, to think that someone had to degrade themselves like that. Why can't they just believe he is really as talented as he seems?"

Roy shook his head. "I'm not sure Hawkeye. You're right though, whoever thought that is sick. They're merely jealous of Edward's talent." Riza's features softened as she spoke, "However, not everything is a rumor sir. I'm well aware of how you act around the Major." Mustang's eyes grew wide as a red tint blossomed across his cheeks. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Lieutenant." He tried to remain cool, calm, and collected.

Riza could see the falseness, but at that point a stranger could. "You don't have to lie to me. I wasn't the only one to notice. I think Major Huges knew way before you and Ed ever knew."

"Me _and_ Ed?"

"Oh like you haven't noticed. Actually, you probably haven't seen as you're too dense to figure this out." He frowned at that, it was rare for him to be insulted and by Hawkeye of all people! "Continue, _please_ Lieutenant. You've intrigued me." Sarcasm laced his voice more than usual.

"Edward's been flirting with you, albeit oddly flirting, but still flirting."

"I fail to see where you make that connection."

"That's your problem, sir. You two don't really communicate unless it's about work or relates to work. The most you two have talked in a day is a few hours, I mean recently you've branched out into other topics but it's mainly work. They don't call me Hawkeye for nothing, Colonel. Ed's been trying to get close to you. Either you're scared or not able to notice but you've been pushing him away."

Roy blinked, baffled by his subordinate. "You got all of that just by sitting in with our reports on his assignments?" Riza nodded. "Sometimes, I think you're amazing Riza." She smiled briefly before returning to her serious façade. "Sir, I mentioned all of this for a reason." He nodded this time. "I know, I need to show my face less and less around him. I need to watch what I do around him from now on, make sure nothing looks too suggestive and such." Mustang stood up and stretched his legs. "I'll head home then. I trust you'll watch over them?"

Riza smiled, "Of course sir. One more thing before you leave?" Roy sighed warily and took one final look at her, "Yes Lieutenant?" He yawned softly. "When this is all over with, just tell him how you feel. I know he'll return your feelings sir." That made Roy smile.

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><p><strong>A.N. So...I feel really lazy and such...so I didn't really put like 1) means this or anything. However, if you have any questions (any at all!) I'll be glad to answer you! Love ya guys! XoXo<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry this took so long to get up, I've been really busy. I've been super busy with things since I graduated; you know like scheduling classes for college in the fall, taking care of my parents, celebrating both mine and my boyfriend's 18th birthday. It's been a race from one thing to the next I suppose. Anyway, I'm sorry it took so long but here you go! I really hope you guys like this chapter and if you don't...it's not my fault. I blame my boyfriend. :D**

**Enjoy guys and as always: Please R&R!**

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><p>The blare of an alarm clock startled Roy from his slumber. Yesterday had been extremely trying and had left him more drained than before. Slamming his hand down on the alarm's button and groaning as he rolled over he sighed. For the first time in a while Roy Mustang was unprepared to start his day. He attempted to wipe the sleep from his eyes before stumbling into the bathroom to start his morning routine.<p>

Roy jostled out of his clothes after he turned the shower on; his shirt from yesterday clinging to his body in refusal. Once succeeding in ripping the offending pieces of material off he allowed the water to envelop his sore muscles. He shut his eyes in the hopes of relaxing. However, behind shut lids Roy found himself replaying the past events of yesterday: Edward laying on the ground, Alphonse in hysterics, and most of all the blood. God there was so much blood. Roy shivered, how in the world was it possible that so much blood came from such a small person? He flinched in on himself on that as he thought of what FullMetal would have done to him if he had heard that comment. A smile broke out over his face as he remembered the last time he called Ed short, the expression he had was so cute.

Roy grabbed the soap and ignored the blush that was blooming ever so redder across his cheeks. He shook his head trying his best to rid the offending emotion off of him. It did not budge. He had found himself thinking of the young alchemist like this more and more: always noticing when Ed would brush his bangs behind his ear while concentrating, the way he bit his lip while reading, how he would roll his eyes at Roy and yet give him a sideways glance afterwards that could (at least Roy hoped) lead to more; he noticed all of the little things. Roy supposed that this should have been his first clue to the affection he was feeling.

According to Hawkeye he had been feeling this since the day they met. It still baffled him that Riza had seen right through his façade even before he knew he had one. He swore that woman was a witch. Turning off the water he begrudgingly got out of the shower and dressed quickly. Mustang's house was not too extravagant. Grant it he had semi good pay for a Colonel; not to mention all of the money he had saved back in his teens. It was small, smaller than most military commander's that is, a two-story house on the outskirts of the city. It was part of an old farm; the barn had fallen down years ago of course. The only part of it left being the foundation. However, the farmhouse still stood and the field where corn was once grown still existed, albeit a bit overgrown but not by much.

Overall Roy had a cozy home; two bedrooms upstairs, one and a half baths, a lavish farm kitchen and a nice den where he spent most evenings curled up reading a book. The only thing that bothered him was how big it was being alone. It was meant to be a family home, not a bachelor's pad. Roy sighed as a thought hit him. What would it be like to live with Edward? Alphonse had stated on more than a few occasions how tough it could be living with his brother but had always said it with a laugh. Ed would get embarrassed and blush with a scowl on his face at these comments.

As he made his way through the threshold of his front door and down the front steps to his car he frowned. How was Ed today? Was he awake? Did something happen? How was Alphonse holding up? Was Hawkeye still there? Did she need someone to take over? Roy really would have rather been headed to the hospital to check on them all but knew after the conversation Riza and he had shared that a phone call to the room would have to suffice. It was at this point that Colonel Roy Mustang discovered a true loathing for his job.

Another thing he found himself loathing was driving. It was far too hot out and lucky for him his AC had snapped a week ago. He also knew that there was a huge pile of paperwork awaiting him on his desk from yesterday's incident. That was not counting the new ones that had most likely found their way onto said desk about an hour ago this morning. A headache was attacking the left portion of Roy's brain and before he knew it he was at Central Command. Saying he was thrilled was the biggest piece of deception since confederate money.

Roy pulled himself together as much as he could, lifted his head upwards and attempted to stride into the building. Halfway to the front of HQ he realized it looked more like limping which resulted in him tucking his head down the rest of the way. Once he was inside of his office he felt a little more at easy. Coffee had been made and the sweet smell of caffeine had enticed him to grab a quick cup before glancing around the room. Falman had obviously came in earlier than normal (normal for him being 5am instead of protocol 6am) but was absent from his desk, Fury was asleep at his with what looked like a piece of radio underneath him, and Havoc was smoking away at a cigarette with his feet propped up and a lose grin on his face.

"Morning sir, sleep well?" A puff of smoke ghosted out from between his lips. Roy suddenly remembered why he hated smoking so much and why he quit the stuff. He took a swig of his coffee before nodding at Jean.

"I slept alright. It was a long night at the hospital." He brushed his bangs from his face as he tried to wipe the memory from his mind. Havoc dropped his feet from the desk and stood up, heading towards the coffee.

"Yeah, Riza's coming back from there now. Falman went to go take her place. Breda is down with Major Armstrong at the crime scene to see if there is any evidence to collect. So far all they found was a torn piece of cloth but whether it's from Ed or his attacker we won't know until the lab comes back with the info." Making himself a cup and gesturing towards Roy's inner office, the two of them headed in there to let Fury catch up on his sleep and to keep from prying ears.

Jean took a seat across from Mustang at his desk and looked him in the eyes before sighing. This situation was horrible. Edward was not only the youngest member of their team but he was also the one to which all of them were the closest too. Ed had helped him through a lot; even though the boy was never seen with a girlfriend he had told Jean what he should do while out on a date to impress a lady. Surprisingly it had worked and well. That was one of the longest relationships he had been in since high school.

Focusing back on Mustang he stuffed another cigarette in his mouth before lighting it. "So," he let a roll of smoke out before continuing, "What happened, exactly that is?" Roy looked into his coffee cup as he tried to recall yesterday when Edward had been smiling while walking with him; while FullMetal was actually happy to be in his presence.

"I'm not sure; I was in front of him talking to Alphonse. We were headed here from the library; they had wanted to see some books on a supposed alchemist who had seen the old ruins near Xing. I was joking with him, ran up to Alphonse to ask him a few things and then…I heard him hit the ground. What I saw…." Roy grew silent, finding it easier to look down at his desk than anywhere else in the room. He did not want to remember all of the blood, the look Ed had, Alphonse's voice shaking; none of it. He wanted to rewind and keep yesterday from ever happening.

Havoc understood. As he got up from his chair he grabbed his cup and headed to the door. With his hand on the knob he stopped. "He'll be okay, sir. This is Ed we're talking about; the little brat won't give up that easy. We'll find the bastard that did this. Concentrate on your work for now. You should go over around lunch, I'm sure Al would love to see you." With that he left, leaving Roy to his nightmarish images of a day he wanted to burn from his memory.

It had taken an hour to actually begin to focus on the paperwork laid out before him. By the time he had started skimming through the paragraphs and signing where he deemed appropriate Hawkeye had returned from the hospital. They exchanged a short conversation where Roy asked the immediate need to know questions before she was breathing down his neck to finish his work. Again.

Time passed much quicker than Mustang had anticipated. When he glanced at his clock on the mantel in his office it read twelve o'clock exactly. He had about half an hour before he could take lunch and head down to the hospital to see Ed. The thought alone made him jittery. Just seeing FullMetal sometimes made his day. There was something about the way the boy would kick the door open, glaring daggers at Roy, before marching his way over to the chair in front of Roy's desk and slouching down in it. He would always finish his little drama fit with a flourish of his honey colored hair and a pout. It made Roy's heart melt in the most peculiar way.

Mustang stifled a yawn before resting his elbow fully on the desk so it could accommodate for the weight of his head. Sleep had eluded him more often than not last night between horrid dreams and fears that would not die down. The sheets were too scratchy, it was too hot under the covers and then it would become freezing cold; Roy could not win for anything. He finally gave up trying to get comfortable around three o'clock in the morning, he must have passed out some time after that.

Listening to the tick of the clock, he shut his eyes. Maybe a slight catnap before visiting the Elric brothers would do him some good. Alphonse was sure to want some answers as to whom did this and Roy was sure to want a few answers from Alphonse himself. Interrogation was not his cup of tea; however, he had refused the applicants that requested asking Al any questions. No, this was to stay within his men. Only his office would be briefed on what had happened that day.

_Music filled Roy's ears along with the sounds of metal creaking, laughing, and the crackling of popcorn bags. His eyes flew open staring out into the lower end of Central._ _He was obviously on top of something very tall for he could see well past all of the tallest buildings Central was known for, including HQ. A light breeze whipped through his hair and the scents of the scene below him began hitting him hard._

_Daring a glance down, Mustang saw thousands of people walking and children running around from tent to tent. There were games, clowns and food stands. The aroma of popcorn, candy apples and cotton candy wafted past his nostrils even from way up high. Tiny lanterns lit the path ways in the dark of the night looking more like large fireflies. Some moonlight peaked through the light mist of clouds to also aid the walking, beams hitting idle places here and there. His breath caught in his throat; it was somehow breathtaking to stare at a carnival like this. _

"_Beautiful, isn't it?" Nearly jumping out of his skin at the sound of the voice beside him, Roy gripped the pole securing him to his seat. Two things occurred to Mustang at that moment; one: He was on the very top of a Farris wheel (Roy tried his best to will his fear of such contraptions away as much as possible). Two: As insane as it sounded, because there was a rational part of his brain telling him that he was dreaming all of this, Edward Elric was sitting right beside him._

_His eyes growing larger, Mustang took the sight of the boy in. Edward was staring out into the distance, looking well past the carnival and its occupants, a smile gracing his features. His hair was unbraided but pulled up into a high ponytail, he wore only the black tank and leather pants he was famous for, and most of all there did not seem to be a scratch on the boy. Now Roy really couldn't breathe. _

"_You know, Al and I use to go to stuff like this all the time with Mom. She loved to take us to the little fair and watch us run around like idiots. I think she got more enjoyment out of it than Al and I ever did." Ed giggled at that and then turned to Roy. A giant smile plastered itself to Ed's face, making Roy smile as well. He then hung his head and as quickly as the smile had appeared; it vanished and was replaced with a frown. Again the rational side of Roy's brain was telling him this was all a dream, a made up reality because he was missing the boy._

"_It's okay to cry." Mustang's head shot back up only to be met with molten gold eyes staring into his dark ones. "I know you're worried, but I'll be okay Roy. Nothing's going to happen to me. I'm not going to die. I'll be back before you know it." Ed smiled again. God, even in a dream the boy was gorgeous. His hair whipped lightly in the breeze with the moonlight reflecting off of it. His smile was so bright, almost as if it would start illuminating itself. Roy wanted to say something, tell him how beautiful he looked in the light of the moon. Instead he began to say that this was a dream. _

"_But—"A finger placed itself over his lips and Mustang's heart leapt into his throat. It was Edward's left hand, his flesh one, and he was without his gloves. Ed's skin was warm against his lips and Mustang tried to relish in the sensation as long as possible before the finger was removed. _

"_It's alright. I think it's about time you woke up now."_

_ "AH!" The next thing Roy knew his head collided with the lamp on his desk. Reeling from the headache he just acquired, he glanced around his office to get his bearings. He could feel the sweat trickle down the back of his neck and beading down his face. That had been an odd dream. He glanced at the clock on the mantle only to be halted in seeing what time it was for the glimpse of golden strands that caught his eye. Sitting, staring wide eyed at him from one of the black couches was Ed. This time his hair was braided, the black jacket and gloves dawned once again. He was clutching a piece of paper in his left hand with a cup of coffee in his right. Needless to say the look he had was quite priceless._

_ Roy swallowed a few times before he could actually think about catching his breath. This had to be another dream. Edward was lying in a hospital bed fighting for consciousness. Any day now he would wake up, but right now this Edward was not __**his**__ Ed. Right? It couldn't possibly be…could it? Stuttering a bit before finding coherency Mustang started "Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?"_

_This Ed raised an eyebrow, carefully setting down both the mug and paper he walked over to Mustang. "Stay back!" Roy screeched, jumping out of his chair, backpedaling towards the windows._

"_Would you calm down bastard? I'm not going to hurt you. Damn, what kind of dream did you have anyway?"_

"_Dream?" Oh yes, Roy remembered the lovely dream where he and Edward were alone together._

"_Yeah, you fell asleep after a while. I figured I'd wait for you to wake up before I gave you my report."_

_ Roy shook his head back and forth. "No," This was all wrong, Ed was in the hospital. Not on a mission. He was in a hospital bed. "No, you're not Edward. You can't be."_

"_What are you talking about?" Ed took another step towards him, Roy took another step back. Edward put both his hands up in the air slowly, taking a very tiny step forward before speaking. "Mustang, you hit your head really hard just now. Maybe you forgot? You sent me on a mission to investigate that murder series, do you remember now? The one where the man was attacking all of the blonde boys of the town, you told me that I was perfect for the job because I matched the type of bait he liked."_

_ Roy flinched at that. That part was real. A few weeks before the boy had been hurt Mustang had sent him on a mission up north to a small town owned by a General where a series of murders were taking place. The psychopath was targeting children, young boys around Edward's age with blonde hair. Roy didn't want to remember that mission. It had not ended like this, making Roy understand that this had to be another dream. Edward had been in the hospital for a few days after that incident and had never given the report in his office. Roy had sat by his bed with a legal pad while the boy relayed everything to him._

_ "This is a dream. You're not Ed; you're some kind of made up version of him. Edward is in the hospital. You're not him." Roy was shaking now, his fists bawled up on either side of him. His back was to a window, if he moved maybe five steps to the left he could bolt for the door._

"_You really hit your head hard. Come on Mustang, you know me. I'm not gonna hurt you, come sit down so we can talk rationally. Let me check to see if you have a bump or anything, okay?"_

_ Roy ran for the door as quick as his legs could carry him. He threw it open, expecting there to be a narrow hallway with a corridor towards the left. Instead he found himself gripping the edges of the doorframe to keep him from falling. Beneath him was a vast hole that tore down through the offices, deep down into the earth. Rocky ledges shone a bit in the broken light of what was left of the hallways. Water dripped into the cavern below, echoing off of its walls. Roy blanched; his options were a) fight the fake Ed off or b) jump to his death. To be completely honest the latter sounded almost wonderful. He doubted he could fight it off, even though he knew it wasn't Ed is still wore his face. _

"_You're going to fall! Come back into the room, please Roy!" He whipped around to see Ed pleading, a look of sheer terror replacing his features. The Ed here tried to come forward more to help him. Roy screamed._

"_No! Get back!" He gripped the frame tighter as he turned around but he slipped. Nearly missing the bottom threshold Mustang tried to pull himself up. The face he looked up to see was anything but Edward's. It was darker than any black he had ever seen before, with piercing red eyes and sharp teeth. Its hands held dagger like fingers that were covered in blood. It grinned as it kneeled down towards him._

"_Roy please; don't be like this. Come on, let me help you!" The voice was now deeper, far deeper than Ed's ever reached. It was gravely and dark; it also held the tenor of a smoker. Shivers ran down Roy's back, this thing was most definitely not Edward. What the hell was it? It neared him even more, reaching out to grab him. He shut his eyes as tightly as they could go. He screamed again._

"_No, stay back! You're not Ed!"_

"_Roy!"_

"Roy! Colonel Mustang, please sir wake up!" Riza Hawkeye was starting to become sick of this. Sometimes she believed that the Colonel would be able to sleep through a bombing raid. Once again she shook him violently before sighing in defeat at the hysterical man. It seemed like she would have to take grave measures to wake him up. Walking into the outer office she picked up the pot of water she had gotten to make coffee with. Jean eyed her with apprehension and silently thanked his genetics for making him able to get through the day without a nap.

Roy awoke with a shrill shriek, nearly knocking himself out of his chair. He noticed he was dripping with both sweat and water, finding the later quite peculiar he glanced around the room with frightened eyes. Hawkeye was standing over top of him, the coffee pot from the outer office in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. He glared at her.

"Sir, you have no idea how many times I have tried to wake you up. I spent fifteen minutes alone just shaking you. When that didn't work I decided to take drastic measures. It seems that _they_ will have to be my method from now on." She gingerly set the papers down on a dry end of the desk before retreating from the room. "Oh by the way sir," She called from beyond the doorway "Alphonse called earlier."

Roy tried not to make his voice sound anxious. "Any news on Edward?"

"No sir, he was just making sure you were alright. I think you should call him later."

Roy sighed, "Yes, well…Thank you Lieutenant Hawkeye." He checked the clock on the mantle and shuddered at the memory of the last dream. It was going on one; he had completely missed lunch and his chance to check on the boys. He would have to stop by after work. "Right, work…." He muttered before taking a rag and wiping his desk to clear the water from it. Reaching for the top sheet in the stack of papers Riza had earlier, he set to work. With another grueling five hours before he could leave, he decided to make the best of it.

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><p>Alphonse stared out the window of the tiny hospital room. It had only been a course of twenty some odd hours but it felt like he had been there for weeks. He hated waiting; he was actually beginning to think Ed was really rubbing off on him with his impatience. His older brother lay in the middle of the room on a large hospital bed; looking much smaller than before (Ed would kill him if he knew he thought that). There were wires connected to his left arm, one to his neck and another to his stomach; tubes were running down his throat and up his nose; bruises littered his body from all the poking and prodding the doctors had done, not to mention the few he had before and the ones from the incident. Concrete sure could leave a mark.<p>

Ed's face was even sadder to look at. His hair was untied, flowing beneath him like a golden halo. Dark circles wore themselves underneath his eyes, a large bruise ran across his forehead and slightly down the bridge of his nose, cuts marred his left cheek and lower chin, his lip was split down the middle, and a bruise in the shape of a hand was wrapped around his neck. Al would have to ask about that injury when Ed woke up from the state he was in.

Continuing down to Ed's chest made Al cringe even more. He really didn't want to think about any of the marks that littered his brother's body, especially the ones from his previous mission up north to investigate that murder series. Alphonse had thought then that he had lost his brother for sure. The man had kidnapped him, just like Ed had planned, but what he had not expected was for the man to drug him. Without coherency Edward was really trapped alone with this monster without any way to defend himself.

When they finally got to Ed he was a mess. The crew had found him chained to a long table with electrical wires connecting to different parts of his body, almost like he had been hooked up to shock therapy. His mouth had been taped shut and his eyes were red rimmed, he was covered in blood, his clothes were torn, and the shoulder blade that connected to his automail had obviously been chopped at. It was almost as if that monster was trying to cut it off by the port.

Whatever else that man had done to him had left Edward more than a little hysteric. When Mustang had carried him out of that building Ed had cried, something his older brother tried to hide from him so Al "would not see his weakness." The nights in the hospital followed suit, along with a few screams and nightmares. The murder had left a crescent shaped scar along Ed's left collarbone, three cracked ribs and a burn mark on the portion of skin just above his heart. There were also multiple lacerations and bruising that covered him after that.

Now Edward had one more scar to add to that long list, the stab wound he had acquired from the person who had attacked him the previous night. It was deep, yet long with jagged edges. The surgeon had used a thick type of threading in order to keep it shut. Around the wound it was bruised with deep purples and blues, some yellowing added contrast around the very edges of the injury.

Alphonse hung his head in sorrow. How could all of this have happened to just one person in a course of such a few weeks? He knew his brother was one for accidents and mishaps but this was starting to seem a little ridiculous. Glancing back at his brother, Al took a seat by the bed.

"I'll just have to wait for answers, won't I brother? You can't tell me anything right now. I'll have to rely on the Colonel for now. Please wake up soon brother, I miss you."

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><p><strong>Again everyone sorry for the long wait. BTW: There's some "symbolism" in the dreams that Roy has. There are at least three that I can think of at the moment. If you can find them, cookies will be yours! lol It's just a fun little thing, you don't really have to find them. Future English Teacher in the making...I'm weird like that. Anywho...The sixth chapter is a work in progress. I'm not sure when I'll have it uploaded since I'm trying to make this the longest fanfiction I've ever wrote. I've seen all these fanfics with like 20 some chapters and I've always wanted to do that. So THANK YOU GUYS for supporting this story and making what it is. :D You guys are the greatest! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! Siskie here with the sixth chapter to "An Everlasting Mark!" Guys, I just want to take this time to explain why I have been gone for SOOOOO long. 1) I had NO INTERNET for like four months. NONE. I couldn't even get my HOMEWORK for certain classes done! 2) My father, God bless is little soul, has been going through an absolutly horrible time. He is VERY sick right now and I'm pretty much the only one who can take care of him. My mother is not exactly in the best of health either so I've been very busy running to the doctor with him. AND LASTLY) My dear sister is having surgery TONIGHT. LIKE AT 4am TONIGHT. So, I am uploading this to you my dears while I wait in the waiting room. **

**I am very sorry that this took so long to put up. It just seems like I would try to write this story and then things would come up. However, I have this chapter complete and I look forward to working on the seventh one! Um, by the way...this chapter did not turn out to be quite as long as my former ones. It was sorta a rushed thing. BUT, I will try to edit it in the near future to make it longer!**

**I love you guys and I'm sorry for my lack of uploading!**

**Please R&R and as always: Enjoy the story my lovelies! **

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><p>"<em>There once was a man who made wings out of wax so he could fly, but when he flew too close to the sun, to God, the wax melted and he fell to the ground."<em>

Edward shook his head, willing his eyes to open. He could have sworn someone had been speaking to him. Sitting up and searching around the room lead him to spot the man in the black cloak that had been tending to him. "Were you…talking to me?" Ed choked out hoarsely. The figure did not respond. Edward swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his head spinning for the briefest of moments, before he stood up. He closed his eyes to will the pain he still felt away.

In that moment Edward saw memories play before his vision. He remembered the eerie man, the knife as it entered his stomach and the scream from his brother. Ed could remember the argument earlier that day with Mustang about how "irresponsible" he was and the talk with Winry on the phone about his father showing up on her front porch. It all came pouring back so quickly. Edward felt his knees hit the ground before he acknowledged the pressure he felt within his chest. Slowly sliding his golden eyes open Edward gasped out loud at what he saw before him.

"You understand now, don't you petit?" The cloaked figure breathed. Although Edward could not see him, the feel of the figures breath as it ghosted over his left ear was enough to know where he was. Edward's golden eyes were wide as they began to take in the scene that lay before him. The room was very white except for one object: a metal suit of armor sitting beside the lone bed in the room.

"That-That can't be…." Ed stuttered. He continued to scan the room as the hooded man laid a hand upon his shoulder. "I am afraid it is, petit. You must understand now about the world you have created. This is how you are in the real world. While you lay there in a hospital bed fighting for your life, you are alive and well in the place you have created."

"You were saying something before I woke up." Edward whispered, still in shock at the sight of his own body lying in front of him. "Something about flying? What were you telling me?"

"You know what it is petit. You were told the story since you were very young." The figure moved to sit beside him as Ed shut his eyes again to will away the scene. He wished not to stare at himself like that for much longer. Sure enough, as if done by his will, the vision of the hospital room vanished and instead left the scene of vast water and sand.

"He made wings out of wax so he could fly. But when he got too close to the sun, to God, the wax melted. And he fell to the ground. You remember the story, don't you petit?"

"The story of Icarus. Of course I remember. My father-he use to tell Al and I that story before…well…before he left." Edward hung his head a little. "What does that silly story have to do with anything?"

"There is more to the story, isn't there petit? You know it. You simply choose to ignore it."

Edward thought on that for a moment. Was there more to that silly story that he had been told as a child? All he could remember was how the father and son wanted to escape their imprisonment so they devised a plan to fly from the window. Icarus, the son, had been so excited about his freedom that he foolishly flew too close to the sun and then the wax that had held his wings together melted, sending him to his death.

Sighing in defeat, Ed shook his head. "If there is more to it, I can't remember it. What does that have to do with my doing here? You said I needed to learn more about this place. I have, I now understand that this is not a physical world and that I only exist because I have decided to be here. And I now understand that I created this place as a young child. What more do I need to know?" Edward said bitterly, standing up and glaring down at the figure. "You won't even tell me your name, and you won't let me see your face! How do I know you're even here? How do I know I can trust you? It seems like every time I am around you something bad happens!" Ed was screaming now, his face beat red. He began to clench and unclench his fists in agitation (a habit he picked up from Havoc).

The figure simply stood up in front of him. "I told you my name. You must not have heard it. And I hide my face for a reason. If you were to see it, you would not like what you see."

Edward tilted his head slightly to the side, most of his anger subsiding. "What the hell do you mean 'wouldn't like what I see?' Would you just tell me what the hell you want?!"

A sigh escaped from beneath the hood of the man. "Fine. I will once again tell you my name, however; I refuse to show you my face. Understood?"

"What happened to 'this is the world you created?' Shouldn't that mean I have the right to know? Did I create you too or are you someone that I knew that ended up here?"

"One question at a time, petit." The hooded man chuckled. "You were always so eager to learn things."

Ed's face once again turned red; however his temper was not boiling. "Just answer me. Tell me who you are, and this time no riddles."

"Very well, petit. If you must know so desperately I will tell you."

There was a long pause between the couple as Edward waited to receive the information that had plagued him since he was found by the man. It was all so strange, almost as if the cloaked man was otherworldly. There seemed to always be an aura around the figure that Ed could almost place. It was almost as if it was one that he was around often enough to remember it, but there was also a sense that he did not know it at all. The figure cleared his throat and startled Edward back into reality.

"My name, petit, is Phanuel." **(1) **Edward's eyes widened slightly. Phanuel? As in _his _Phanuel? The imaginary character he created, Phanuel? Ed shook his head in disbelief.

"You mean…the imaginary character that I dreamed about and started talking to when I was five? You mean _that _Phanuel?" Ed scoffed slightly, "Seriously? Okay, now I know I'm in some horrible dream!"

"You are not dreaming, petit. And I was not exactly 'created' by you. You see, I am an angel. Your guardian angel, to be specific."

Edward's jaw dropped down to the ground at Phanuel's words. "You're an angel?"

"An archangel to be exact, but yes, I am. I was sent to watch over you, and to see that you fulfill your prophecy."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ed exclaimed, his arms doing frantic wiper motions in front of his face. "What do you mean _prophecy_?!" Ed's voice screeched an octave in his hysteria. "You're telling me that I am supposed to believe that you-you're some fucking _archangel _whose job is to _see my prophecy fulfilled_?! Look, buddy, I don't know who you think you are, but I have had just enough of your psycho conversations! I am leaving!" With one last shake of his head, Edward began heading inland, and was quickly trying to come up with a way to build a raft. He had attempted to use alchemy early and found it to be of no use. With his injuries and his inability to preform alchemy, Edward was pretty much a sitting duck and he did not like how _Phanuel_, or whoever the hell he was, was acting. It was just better to distance himself from the creep as much as possible, find a way to get off of this stupid island, and get home to Al and Roy. Yeah, that was all he needed.

A hand resting itself upon his shoulder made Ed freeze to a stop in his movements. "Petit, please, would you just listen to yourself? You're acting irrational. You saw for yourself what this world is. Now, I need to explain a few more things to you and you will be free to enter your world once again. I promise that no harm will be done to you."

Edward slowly turned around to look up into the cloaked face of his "guardian angel" and frowned. "You're my guardian angel, huh? Okay then, show me your face."

"Petit, I told you, I cann-"

"I remember what you looked like when I was little; I dreamed of you, if you really are who you say you are. If you really are the Phanuel that I remember from my childhood, the one that I remember talking to all the time when I was upset, then I will believe you. However, if I have any doubt that it is not the real Phanuel, I will leave and you better not try anything funny otherwise I will have to resort to murder, got it?"

Phanuel only chuckled. "Oh, you mean like the time you wet the bed and Alphonse wouldn't let off of you? Oh yes, I remember the conversation we had about that. You had nightmares for weeks that you would do it again and that your entire family would hate you. What an adorable naive little thing you were, petit."

Once again, Edward found his jaw hitting the floor. "How the hell-" Ed began, but he did not finish his sentence. Instead, the memories of talking with Phanuel came flooding back to him so quickly he could not clearly see them all. He did, however, remember the fondness he had towards the man. It was almost as if he was a father to Ed.

Without thinking through with his action, Edward wrapped his arms around Phanuel and began to cry. "I haven't seen you in years. I thought I was crazy or something when I was a kid. Where the hell did you go? You left me." Phanuel sighed and returned the embrace back towards the older Elric.

"I am sorry I have been gone for so long, petit, but I promise I am here now. I promise I will be by your side for what you will have to endure, and this time I am not leaving. I will be in the real world with you shortly after you return."

Edward pulled back slightly and looked up at Phanuel with shock. "You'll be coming with me?"

"Yes, petit. I'll be coming with you." Phanuel forced Ed into another hug. It had been a very long time, but he still watched over the boy from afar. When those damn homunculi decided to enter the scene backing off was his only option. Now, now Edward was safe and sound.

"Now," Phanuel said while clearing his throat and awkwardly letting go of Edward with a pat on his shoulder. "About your future, petit. There is something you must know."

"And it has to do with that stupid story…right? Care to elaborate?" Ed chuckled, sitting back down in the sand with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. "I remember my father saying I had to memorize the story, but I only ever memorized the lines you spoke. They basically summed up the story and I didn't feel like listening to him. I was a little kid. Guess that's kicking me in the ass now, huh?"

Phanuel sighed, "I suppose so, petit. However, there is far more to that story than what you remember. Tell me, do you still have dreams of the end of the world?"

Ed lowered his eyes, "Yes, every night."

"Is it always the same way?"

"You know the answer to that."

Phanuel merely hummed in response. Edward wasn't quite sure where all of this was going. To be entirely honest, he was completely confused. What did his dreams have to do with the story he heard as a kid? What did any of _this _have to do with _anything? _Phanuel noted the expression crossing the young one's face and decided it would be best to begin the process explaining.

"Well, petit, the story continues from where young Icarus died. There is much more."

"You mean to tell me you _knew _there was more to the story, but you kept trying to squeeze it out of me when I knew nothing?!" Ed shouted with daggers focused on Phanuel's form.

"I was trying to see if you remembered, now be quiet." Ed silenced himself and relaxed slightly with a glare still evident on his face. "You obviously remember the part of Icarus-"

"Just get on with it already, Phanuel."

Phanuel cleared his throat, "As I was saying, since you already know that part there is no need to repeat. What you lack to remember, petit, is the story of the 'Golden Angel' whom will descend upon Earth from Heaven when man had learned to fly." Needless to say the look that filled Edward's was enough to laugh at. With his eyes set wide and his mouth hanging open in complete shock, Phanuel summoned up every last part of his will power not to burst out laughing and knowing full well if he even so much as chuckled, injury towards his body would most definitely be evident. "The 'Golden Angel' would bring with him a child, a golden child, to right the world and restore it back into balance." **(2)**

"Hold on a second!" Ed shrieked, shaking his head back and forth. "You mean to tell me that some 'golden angel thingy' came down from the sky to have a frickin' kid?"

Phanuel nodded. "Yes, precisely. However, you did not let me finish, petit. There is more to the story than just the birth of a wonderful child."

Edward felt dumbfounded. "Okay…so what else is there?"

"The 'Golden Child'-"

"Do you have to refer to them as 'golden' all of the time?" The silence from Phanuel that followed his question made Ed shut up for good. Phanuel then continued with the story.

"The 'Golden Child' was born unto the angel and his earthen wife. It is prophesied that the child would grow up to live through many tragedies and also conquer a feat that others before him could not. It continues to say that the end of the world will be upon them on the child's seventeenth birthday."

Edward sat silently as everything he had just heard sunk in. An angel came to Earth and had a child with a human. His child would then grow up to become an admired person among society, but he had to have gone through some very horrible events in his life. Finally, when the child turned seventeen, the world would supposedly end. "What happened to the child?"

Phanuel paused before he answered. "He devoted his entire life to his younger brother."

It was with that phrase that everything clicked. Edward slowly raised his head from the sand to look out beyond the water. He kept very still and very quiet as he processed what he had understood from what Phanuel had told him. With his vision still focused out to sea, Edward sighed. "You're not just telling me this as a bedtime story, are you?"

"No."

"Of course not, because that would have been too fucking simple."

Phanuel laughed. "You catch on quick, petit."

"Just a few questions." Edward pressed. "Icarus existed hundreds of years ago. Why now?"

"Love sometimes takes a while to find. Your father found it within your mother."

Ed thought that one through. It seemed to make enough sense to him. "Okay, next question. The incident with mom…was I supposed to go through that? Was Al supposed to suffer?"

"Edward, let me assure you. What happened to your brother was not your fault. You need to understand that there are higher powers working against us. What I do know is that he will be restored. I cannot show you how, but you must trust me when I say he will be returned to his body."

Ed nodded in response. "Last question. Why the hell do you smell like Mustang?"

Phanuel chuckled. "I'm so proud of you." He teased. "The first step is admitting."

"Oh, shut up. I've come to terms with that a long time ago. Just answer my damn question." Edward glowered, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I did it to comfort you while you were here."

"Liar."

"Excuse me?" Phanuel asked, taken aback.  
>"You've always had that scent. Explain."<p>

Phanuel sighed for what seemed the hundredth time during their little conversation. "Very well, you wish to know?"

"Yes, goddammit! That's why I'm asking!" Edward huffed. He glared at Phanuel. "Take off your hood. Let me see."

"You already kno-"

"I said let me see."

Against Phanuel's best judgment, he did as the Elric asked, and what Edward saw confirmed his memories and his fears. He had hoped that it was simply due to the fact he was around the man twenty-four hours a day almost every day of the week. That perhaps his memory of the past and his memory of the present had somehow mixed, thus confusing the two faces. What Edward was witnessing now shattered all hope that he had simply forgotten.

Phanuel frowned, dark onyx eyes clouded over while short ebony hair was caught by the wind. The sadness shone bright within his pupils. "I told you. I tried to keep you from seeing this."

Edward stammered. "…You…but…" Shaking his head for the very last time, a look of shock gracing his face, Edward swallowed hard. He simply muttered one last word.

"Roy."

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><p><strong>A.N.: (1) Phanuel: Archangel who was said to interpret revelations. Yes, I looked it up. However...the rest of what he looks and acts like is all me. :D<strong>

**(2) I COMPLETELY MADE THIS FRICKIN' THING UP! I swear, I had a dream where Ed was an angel...and it sorta went from there as you can see. XD**

**Hope you all liked this chapter! Please R&R and I will be back soon with Chapter Seven! Chao!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hola everyone! I am SOOOOOOO SORRRRRY that this chapter has basically taken like a LIFETIME to even upload. I love you guys and I am so sorry to have taken so long. But, a lot of stuff has happened and it's been a rough few months. However, I am here and there is a new chapter that I hope all of you enjoy! :)**

**Also, I would love to give a shout out to sub.C, a reader and reviewer of a few of my stories, who has been very supportive and a wonderful friend to talk to in a time of need. Thank you so much dear for all of your kind words and help and your creative comments! **

**So, here you go.**

**Please R&R and as always, enjoy the story.**

**xoxo**

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><p>Colonel Mustang was a man of many things. He prided himself on his calmness in any given situation, the way he could think quickly on his feet in the throes of danger, and how he could always keep his men in a safe position. Mustang also considered himself to be able to take care of himself quite easily. Cooking was very simple for him and was something he had learned early on in life. He found cleaning to be tedious, but with the right song on the radio he could be inspired to keep things neat. He would also consider himself to be the person that others would come to for advice or help, and he was always willing to give it. Roy Mustang could, after all, keep his cool in a stressful situation. He was able to hold emotions in around others and was one to never cry in front of anybody for fear of an enemy discovering a weakness, which was a trait he picked up in the war. Yes, Roy Mustang was a man of many things; tough, considerate and intelligent. However, all of those things left his personality the moment he stepped through the single, oak door of that hospital room.<p>

Roy could feel his internal walls break down and crumble. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared him for this moment. There, lying in the crisp white hospital bed with tubes and machines hooked up to him was the FullMetal Alchemist. Edward Elric. The youngest of his team. How did it come to this? How could things have gotten this bad?

Stretching a shaky hand out towards a bandaged arm, Roy broke down. He could feel the tears slide down his cheeks and the hot pain of guilt shoot through his chest. Mustang gripped lightly at the boys left arm, running a thumb across a patch of skin, and took a seat in the chair beside the bed. He focused on the boys breathing, watching his chest rise in slow, agonizing breaths. He was thrilled at the fact the boy was still breathing, but it would have been more of a relief if Edward could breathe normally without the pained grasps for air. Even with the oxygen mask secured to his mouth, his breathing was very labored and dragged out.

"I've seen worse." The voice startled Mustang out of his concentration. Without moving, Roy stared at Ed's face, as if hoping his eyes would open. It took a moment for Roy to process what had been said.

"Really? I'm not sure if that's reassuring or if I want to yell at the both of you for not telling me the _other_ times this has happened."

Alphonse walked over to the other side of Edward, facing Mustang before he spoke. "There is a lot brother hasn't told you about. And there is a lot that he hasn't told me about. Brother-Ed used to always tell me things, before mom died that is. He would tell me all of his secrets." Alphonse's gaze settled on Ed as Roy's settled on Al's figure, watching with a silent interest at the younger Elric's actions and words.

"Brother never had trust issues. I think after everything happened, between dad leaving and mom dying, he gained them. I also think he stopped trusting in himself. It's like-he's scared of messing up. He always tells me that he's okay and that everything will be alright, but I wonder how much of that is actually truth? How much of that does he himself believe in?"

Roy was taken aback by Alphonse's thoughts. He had never heard the boy speak like that about Edward, much alone anyone, before. Taking a few moments to mill over what Al had said, Roy sighed. This gained the attention of the younger boy.

"I think-I think FullMetal doesn't want you to worry about him. You are, after all, his little brother, his responsibility, his family. He wants to protect you from all of the evil and ugly in the world, and honestly I don't blame him. You've already seen your fair share of the bad side of the world; he only wants to keep you from seeing all of it."

"But I'm not little anymore. I'm not that little kid that he used to kiss bruises and cuts for, or the kid that would need his protection from a bully. We've both had to grow up so quickly. I don't understand-."

"You will one day, Al. Once you have children yourself, you will understand. You're his little brother, and while that might not mean so much to you, it does to him. You are his to take care of. He just wants to make sure he is doing his job. Don't take it the wrong way. He is just showing you how much he loves you."

Alphonse dropped his gaze to the floor. If it were possible for helmets to smile, his would have. "Thank you, Colonel."

Roy let a tiny, yet graceful, smile capture his lips for the briefest of moments before returning to wonder about Edward's current health. He noted everything on the boy's body that was visible. The scars from numerous fights and countless encounters with sociopaths, the bruises and burns from past missions (especially the giant hand-print like bruise enveloping the majority of his neck), and the tale-tale sings of sleep deprivation; yes, Roy saw them all. In this situation, Edward was unable to hide any of that from him. He often asked the boy if there was something he needed or if he had been injured during his mission and needed assistance, but Mustang was denied each time with a bitter laugh and a scoff with the hand.

"I wonder how many of these scars are recent." Colonel Mustang muttered out loud, stopping his stroking of Edward's arm with his thumb long enough to admire the deep gash that ran along the inside of his wrist and down, curving around to his elbow. Roy didn't remember seeing that one on a list of injuries and it did look fairly recent. The gash was not bleeding nor was it scabbed over, which suggested that it was new, yet somehow healed. The Colonel felt his brows knit together in confusion. "Alphonse, do remember when Ed got this?" He asked in a gentle voice while taking Edward's arm in his hands just as gently to show the youngest Elric.

Alphonse shook his head. "No, but that doesn't surprise me. Brother normally tries to keep all of his injuries a secret. It's only when he has to be hospitalized or is unconscious that I find out about anything." He ended with a slight chuckle although worry was very apparent in his voice. "For all I know, brother scraped his arm on a nail or something. It looks like it has healed though. Why are you asking, Colonel?"

Roy shook his head, biting his bottom lip in a form of concentration. There was something Edward had said a very long time ago that suddenly sprung to the forefront of his mind. Something about controlling injuries and how he wished there was a way that Edward could heal himself without a hospital. Roy had thought nothing much of the conversation then, but now it sparked an interest. "Al, did Ed ever tell you he wished he could heal himself?"

Alphonse laughed, "Every day. He hates hospitals. I wouldn't be surprised if he screams and kicks when he wakes up and realizes where he is."

"Has he ever talked about looking into it?" Roy mused, staring in a sort of sick fascination at the wound.

"Not that I remember, why? Is there something wrong, Colonel?" Roy shook his head no, but kept looking at the mark. "I was just wondering. You know your brother, he's very intelligent and I wouldn't put it pass him to try something like that."

Alphonse chuckled and nodded in agreement. Edward was the type to try anything once if he believed it would become useful to him. He watched the Colonel as he pressed a finger lightly to the scar and traced it from his wrist down to the ending point right at the elbow. It was with care, almost as if it were a loving touch. Although Al had suspected such feelings from his brother towards the older man, he was not expecting the same feelings to be coming from the Colonel.

Coughing lightly as to gain the Colonel's attention, Alphonse prepared himself for a conversation that may, or may not, end well. "Excuse me for asking, but Colonel I can't help but notice how you have been acting towards my brother. Is there…is there something you would like to tell me?"

Never before in his life did Roy Mustang consider himself gay or anything of that nature, but he would be willing to admit that he did find the older Elric very attractive. He would have been stupid not to have noticed how grown up Edward had become, and was guilty when it came to admitting that he had, indeed, checked FullMetal out on a number of occasions. It was hard not to. The young man he had grown into was not kept from Roy's watchful eyes. So the Colonel happened to notice how broad his shoulders had become, and maybe he had paid a little more attention to the way Edward's waist was shaped lately, and perhaps he did find those beautiful, large, golden eyes even more attractive than before.

Whether he wanted to admit it to either himself or anyone else, it was completely undeniable: Roy Mustang, fearsome Flame Alchemist, had fallen head over heels for the little, insubordinate, stubborn headed brat, Edward Elric. To say he was "screwed" was just the beginning of the long list of issues. Not only was he old enough to be the boy's father, but he was also his superior, and the military did have a strict policy against interoffice relations. Not to mention, they were both _males_.

Sighing with his head in defeat, Roy cleared his throat. "Alphonse, I-I'm not quite sure what to tell you. You do know I care for both you and your brother very much. I've seen the both of you grow up so fast and…I honestly don't know what I should say. What I should tell you…." He trailed off, taking the moment to look between Al and Edward. Could he really admit it out loud like this? Sure, Hawkeye and he had talked about it before, but he had not actually said the words.

"It's alright, Colonel. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Believe me. I'm pretty sure I already know what you're going to say." Alphonse shook his head in slight humor. "You know, brother may not say it, but he is grateful for everything you've done for us. And I am too."

Roy smiled. "Really, you boys don't have to be that way."

"I know, but brother is already that way. I'm the nice one, remember?" Alphonse joked lightly. "Besides, brother doesn't really show affection. I was surprised with how he was playing around with you…that day. Normally he just keeps to himself."

"He has been…more _open_ now that you mention it. We've had lunch together quite a few times. You don't think his previous mission has anything to do with that, do you?"

Al shook his head. "No," he said with a slight smile to his voice, "I believe that brother was trying to open up to you all along, he just was too afraid of rejection at first. It's always the first step that seems the farthest."

"Rejec-Oh, I see. So, you do know. You didn't happen to have a conversation with Hawkeye, did you Alphonse?" Roy asked, a bit of skepticism seeping into his voice.

"I guess you could say a little birdy told me, yes."

Roy laughed for the first time in what seemed like days. Alright, so Alphonse knew. Now what? Would he tell Edward when he awoke? Would the boy hate him? How would the others react if they knew?

"Colonel, sir, I know the Lieutenant has already told you that he does feel the same way, but perhaps another voice of reason will easy your worries?"

"Are you suggesting that you are willing to tell me your brother's secrets about me?" Roy posed, one eyebrow cocked.

Alphonse was quiet for a moment. "It's not my place, I know that, but brother is too…what's the word…stubborn? Yes, stubborn to admit anything out loud. He's had this crush since I can remember. He used to talk about you a lot."

The room went quiet again and the only sounds that could be heard were the beeping of machines from Edward's bed. Roy could feel the blush creeping down his neck towards his chest as the silence lingered.

"You know," Alphonse sighed, breaking the silence, "He's actually been _flirting_ with you."

That made Roy's left eyebrow cock upwards. "Flirting?" Roy could hardly imagine Edward flirting with him. Being suggestive, yes that has happened in the past, but flirting? The idea was merely laughable. "Al, I doubt your brother has truly been flirting, yet alone with me."

Alphonse shook his head with a small laugh. "Okay, so perhaps brother doesn't seem like the flirting type. But Colonel, I assure you that he has. It may be subtle or it may have looked as if Ed was only doing it to make you angry, but it was flirting. Think back on it. Think about the looks he has given you. Think about the comments he has made. The actions brother made around you; think about them all." With a final sigh, Alphonse left.

Roy laced his fingers together in his lap and leaned forward. His mind was racing. Did Ed really flirt the way Alphonse suggested? Suddenly a memory sparked. There was a time in Ed's dorm, one that specifically stuck out in his mind.

It was before the case of the serial killer weeks ago. Actually, it had been the night that Edward was assigned the mission.

"_Also, do you think I could get the name and address of the surviving victim?" Ed smiled sheepishly. Mustang sighed and shook his head. _

"_What happened to the one favor?" _

"_Don't make me beg." Ed laughed. "Besides, you'll do it 'cause you love me." _**(1)**

Was that considered flirting? _You'll do it 'cause you love me._ Roy could not shake a feeling deep within the pit of his stomach. It started slowly as a warm heat at the thought that Edward might have _loved_ him, and the more he thought about it the hotter it grew until Roy was sure he would burst into flames. His onyx eyes focused on the young boy again for the hundredth time that day. He could feel the pinpricking of tears once more and the sudden want to just _hold_ him; to hold Ed and try to wake him.

"Why?" It came as a low whisper and Mustang took a shaky breath to keep from crying, "Why me? Of all the people, Edward, that you could have decided to do this to…that you could have…why me?" Roy hung his head low and allowed the noise of the machines and Ed's strained breathing lull him into a subdued state. His mind was working overtime.

"STOP!"

Roy's head shot up and a look of horror plastered itself onto his face. Edward was thrashing in the bed, eyes tightly shut, and screaming at the top of his lungs. Roy stood from his chair, knocking it over in the process. His body froze as his mind tried to play catch up. What should he do? Should he call for a doctor? Should he sooth Edward first? Panic was not something Roy did on a daily basis and he did not deal with it well on the few occasions he had majorly panicked. Now was exactly one of those times.

Making up his mind, Mustang lurched forward and attempted holding Edward in place. He grabbed at Edward's wrists and began talking to him in a calming voice. Ed was thrashing even harder than before and screaming even louder, if that was possible.

Alphonse, who had been standing outside talking with Hawkeye, burst through the door with said Lieutenant jogging in right behind him. It was not long after Hawkeye had entered and assisted in restraining that a group of doctors and nurses had joined them.

Before he knew it, Roy had been pushed to the side of the wall as the physicians attempted to sedate the screaming boy. Roy wiped at his brow, a small sheen of sweat coming off onto the back of his hand. His breathing was beginning to slow from the rush of the adrenaline dissipating. It was when he was sure that the doctors had everything under control that Roy listened to the screaming voice.

His eyes became very wide and his brows knitted in confusion. From the side of his vision, he could see both Hawkeye and Alphonse still their movements. The voice was raspy, as if it had not been used in a very long time. It was deeper than the one he was used to hearing scream at him about a short joke. It was darker than the voice that carried all of that knowledge he loved to sit and listen to. That voice was _not_ Edward's.

"Stop!" Roy shouted at the doctors and nurses. "Stop! Move away from him!" All but two of the members of the group did as Roy commanded. The two that had stayed were holding down Edward's arms. The Colonel did a once over and swallowed hard before approaching the bed.

Edward's eyes were open and staring straight at him, but they were not Edward's golden irises. Blood red eyes and a dark, sinister and twisted smile greeted him. Mustang was speechless as he grew closer to the boy, taking small steps as if to not startle whatever or whoever possessed his body.

The room was silent once more. Roy and Ed locked eyes. What in the name of hell was going on here? One moment the boy was out cold and everyone was informed that it might be months before his eyes were opened again. The next, red eyes bore into his onyx ones.

"Who are you?" Roy spoke, his voice a bit shaky. It seemed as if everyone in the room were holding their breaths. No one spoke as they watched the two. Eyes flickered back and forth between them.

An evil laugh tore through the air. "Je suis celui qui hante vos rêves. Je suis celui qui crée vos pires cauchemars. Je suis celui qui va l'emporter."

Roy's eyes crinkled in confusion. "What?"

"What language is that?" Hawkeye gasped.

Alphonse strode forward very calmly and stood beside Roy. "You are the ancient one, yes?"

Roy turned, baffled. "You understand him?"

Alphonse nodded his head. "Yes. Brother used to read the ancient texts from the people of Français. **(2)** I learned quite a bit listening to him."

Roy shook his head in disbelief. "Then what is he saying?"

"He said: _I am the one who haunts your dreams. I am the one who creates your worst nightmares. I am the one who will prevail._"

Roy met Riza's gaze. "It's evil." They both stated.

Alphonse confirmed their thoughts. "Yes. Whatever it is, it has decided to use brother as a host of sorts."

"Can you get it to leave?"

"I-I don't know how to do that."

"Can't you try something?!"

"Try talking to it, Al. See what it says."

Alphonse prayed to a God he had lost faith in years ago that this _thing_ would not bring harm to his brother, and that whatever he said would not anger it.

"Vous êtes l'ancienne, oui?" Alphonse restated in the ancient language.

"Oui." Another laugh came from Edward's mouth. It was very deep and very dark. Alphonse was grateful that he did not have a body that could shudder at that moment.

"Pourquoi avez-vous choisi mon frère que votre hôte?"

"L'enfant d'or ne sera pas accueilli de nouveau dans ce monde. Il périra pour ce qu'il va faire!"

Roy moved back a few paces from hearing the screech of the creature within Ed as he spoke. "What did it say, Al?"

"He said that…that Brother won't be allowed to wake up…and that he has to die for what he will do."

"What he _will _do? What the hell does that mean?"

"I-I-I don't know." Al stuttered while trying to gain composure.

"Keep him talking." Hawkeye stated. "Ask him what Ed will do."

Alphonse took a breath to calm his nerves. He may not have had a nervous system to be nervous with, or a mouth to breathe from, but he found it made it easier to ask questions with.

"Qu'est-ce qu'il va faire?"

The creature controlling Edward laughed, pulling his mouth into a strange position. It was sickening and Roy found himself looking away until it stopped.

"Graver. L'. Monde." **(3)**

With that, the creature let out a horrible groan. The room suddenly went black and dead quiet. Minutes passed before the room lit up once more. When the light returned, gazes settled upon the hospital bed.

Edward was sitting calmly at the edge of the bed, eyes very large and scared, as his breathing seemed to get faster. He appeared as if he had just awoken from a bad dream. Roy looked at the boy in disbelief. This child was just being tormented by a demon of sorts, yet here he was sitting as if nothing had even happened to him. It was then that Roy noticed the gloved hand upon Ed's shoulder. He followed the black hand and arm to a cloaked face.

"Brother?" Al choked out as he too noticed the dark, cloaked man.

Edward's eyes shifted to meet Al's glowing red orbs and to lock on with Roy's. Mustang wanted to breathe a sigh of relief at seeing those sand colored irises once more.

Roy stared for what seemed like an eternity. He began noting things about Ed; the boy was in his usual garb instead of the medical dress he was placed in during surgery, his body was not littered with as many cuts and bruises and a strange glow seemed to be floating right behind Edward's head. It almost looked like a halo. Roy blinked a few times to see if the image disappeared and when it did not he shook his head.

The cloaked man stepped forward and bowed slightly at the waist. When he spoke, the voice was deep, but not too deep. It carried well and was softer than his appearance. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and doctors…if you please, _Enfant d'or _is very tired and stressed. Please allow him to have some space."

Alphonse gasped. "_Enfant d'or? _The Golden Child?" He turned to look at Edward who was staring at his brother.

"You're the Golden Child?!"

Mustang glanced between the two. "What's the Golden Child?"

Al stuttered with his sentence and gave up halfway through just to stare at the cloaked man and his brother as thoughts swam through his head.

For the first time since he awoke and acted to be his normal self, Edward spoke. It was small and Roy, and the others, had to strain to hear it.

"The end of the world."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.: 1) This is from "A Neverending Love" for all of you who probably went "HANG ON, SISKIE YOU GIPT ME! I'VE READ THIS BEFORE." Chill. It's like a flash back thingy :P<strong>

**2) Oui, I have turned the French into an ancient language/culture that I will further explain throughout the story.**

**3) This means "Burn. The. World." I didn't have Al say it because he is in shock at this point.**

**ALSO: Before it happens I'm going to nip it in the bud...THIS IS SO NOT THE MAIN PLOT! People...it is my story and I think I am capable of writing a story with more than ONE plot. I am a novelist thank you. There are many little sub plots and plotty plot things that all come together later in this story. Sorry for the rude behavior but, seriously...I don't tell you how to write your plots. Don't write mine. Just GO ALONG FOR THE RIDE DUDE! Rant done and over...now can we all act like adults here and drink our apple juice? ;)**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed...R&R...and if you guys find anything interesting that you would like to share or if you just freakin' love unicorns...let me know! I love you guys. **

**~Siskie XoXo**


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